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Senate Bill 4, which undermines existing environmental law and leaves Californians unprotected from fracking and other dangerous and extreme fossil fuel extraction techniques, passed the California Assembly today and will likely head to Governor Brown’s desk after a concurrent vote in the Senate.

“This legislation does nothing to stop fracking or protect communities across the state from its harmful effects and last minute changes to the bill made it even worse,” said Adam Scow, California campaigns director at Food & Water Watch. “The threats to our state’s water, air and climate are real and pressing and we don’t have time for half measures like SB 4. We need courageous leadership—it’s time for Governor Brown to act now to ban fracking in California.”

Farmers, environmental justice groups, public health advocates, local elected officials, students, Hollywood and many others are calling on Governor Brown to stop to fracking in California—nearly 200,000 petitions have been signed urging Governor Brown to ban fracking in California.

“This vote to allow fracking in California and exempt it from California’s benchmark environmental law shows that our Assembly has thoroughly failed at protecting Californians,” said Zack Malitz, campaign manager for CREDO. “We’re depending on Governor Brown to step in to prevent the wholesale fracking of our state.”

“This bill will not protect Californians from the enormous threats of fracking pollution,” said Kassie Siegel of the Center for Biological Diversity’s Climate Law Institute. “Fracking poses unacceptable risks to the air we breathe, the water we drink and our climate. We’ll keep working to end this inherently dangerous activity in our state.”

Comments

Take a ban to the ballot! Something us New Yorkers don’t have the right to do…

Pilotibus

Fracking in the San Joaquin Valley AND along known faults adjacent to or immediately underneath Fukushima-style nuclear power plants is … [ language is inadequate ]

http://www.youtube.com/user/pike024 Kelly A

wow what the hell is with cali?! we thought you guys were intelligent, progressive types. too many texans moving there?!

John_St_John

Koch brother money and Darrell Issa.

wrymind

California already buys (or steals) most of its water from the whole Southwest. Now they’re going to ruin what little water there is with fracking? On fault lines? What a bunch of stupid whores!

BAN FRACKING NATIONWIDE

I got this message from moveon.org.
Last night the Los Angeles County Democratic Party overwhelmingly endorsed SB4. We need the tests mandated in this bill to stop fracking in California. Here is a message from State Senator Fran Pavley:
“Just to clarify, nothing in this bill will prevent local or state, laws, bans or moratoriums from bring implemented either now or in the future. Nothing in this bill will prevent lawsuits or judicial orders.
Two big wins:
Broadened bill to include acidization, not just fracking.
requires a permit which triggers a CEQA review for new fracking or other well stimulation
Not prefect, but a step in the right direction. Local, state and national efforts should move forward. ”
I trust Fran Pavley. Whom do you trust?
WELL? I have not personally read the bill so now I am confused! We need to BAN FRACKING IN CA and for that matter NATIONWIDE that’s all I know!

John_St_John

Well the world has been waiting for the big quake that will dump a third of California into the Pacific Ocean. Looks like that wait will soon be over.

Helene Love

Jerry Brown–Please ban fracking, now. Be the example for the rest of the U.S. and the world. Man is so intelligent–let’s come up with some safe alternatives. It may take some time to come up with alternatives, but we won’t have any time left on this earth if we keep abusing her at these record speeds. Thank you for your consideration.